Over 15,000 Amazigh pay homage to Omar Khalek

More than 15,000 people have made it to Ikniwen to honor the memory of Omar Khalek called Izem, said the organizers of that grandiose tribute to the young Amazigh activist assassinated on January 27 in Marrakech during clashes between Amazigh students and Saharawi students affiliated with the Polisario Front.

The militants have come from all Amazigh regions of Morocco despite intimidation by police and the Moroccan authorities to forbid to public carriers to drive the Amazigh people to the village Ikniwen. However, despite government instructions to bring the citizens to the village Ikniwen, many young people have challenged this act of characterized racism by going to the village of the young Amazigh hero … by foot.

We are publishing below the statement of the sovereignist Kabyle movement

Tribute to Omar Khalek, murdered by savage hordes in the grounds of the University of Marrakech

On behalf of the President of the Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylia, management and all the militants, I extend to the family of the young student Omar Khalek, his relatives, the Amazigh activists and to all Amazigh peoples of Morocco, deepest sympathy of our movement and the Kabyle people who provide their solidarity, support and deep sympathy.

The MAK, very touched by this despicable assassination, bows to the memory of our Amazigh brother who died following clashes with Arab-Islamist students. These have been identified by the Amazigh movements as being close to the political organization Polisario, advocating the establishment of a Sahrawi Arab Republic in Amazigh land.

These savage hordes who claim themselves from the Arab-Islamist ideology did not hesitate to murder a student within the walls of his university. It is Morocco’s duty to find the culprits and to prosecute them for the unforgivable crime they committed, otherwise it is endorsing the murder of Amazigh activists.

We learned that the Arab-Islamist government of Benkiran blocked several buses to Agadir, Marrakech and Errachidia to try to prevent the convergence of hundreds of Amazigh citizens to Ikniwen where is hosted the tribute to Omar Khalek, at the 40th day of his death. MAK condemns in the strongest terms the ultimate insult to the memory of the deceased and considers that this demonstrates, once again, the visceral hatred shown by the Arab-Islamism against Amazighity.

On each plot of that Amazigh land, the memory of Omar Khalek will remain eternally alive. May his soul rest in peace and the land soft and light to him. His martyrdom is not in vain. Tamazgha live forever. There will be neither forgotten nor forgiveness.